Sponsored by the President’s Office, the conference spotlights students’ scholarly and creative endeavors through a variety of podium presentations, poster displays, and performances from across the disciplines.

“The conference reflects our goal of preparing our students for a life of educational and professional development,” said Associate Professor of Communication Studies Jill Weber, who each year coordinates the event with Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Patty O’Toole.

Awards for first, second, and third place were presented by the judges to the following students:

Green and Gold (First Place)

Madi Hurley ’17: “Horses in Motion: Paintings and Drawings of the Mechanics of Equine Locomotion”

Jackson was selected the winner in the First-Year/Sophomore category for her research project, Nasser of Egypt and Egypt of Nasser, which was recommended by Associate Professor of History Rachel Nunez.

In the Junior/Senior category, Moore earned the top prize for A Quandary of Errors: The Problem of Innocence in Paradise Lost. Associate Professor of English Julie Pfeiffer recommended the project.

Jackson and Moore will each receive a $250 award. Their work, along with the work of the other finalists, will be featured in the Hollins Digital Commons.

Hollins University is among the 21 liberal arts colleges in America with the lowest student-faculty ratios, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Hollins has eight students for each faculty member.

“Attending a college with a low student-to-faculty ratio can mean more personalized attention for students,” explained Jordan Friedman of U.S. News. “Prospective students looking to learn in a tight-knit classroom environment may want to consider U.S. liberal arts colleges instead of larger universities.”

U.S. News determined the top 21 schools based on data provided by the 222 National Liberal Arts Colleges ranked by the publication. “Student-faculty ratio is among the many factors U.S. News considers when ranking the Best Colleges,” Friedman said.

Joining Hollins in the top 21 are such prestigious institutions as Wellesley College, Williams College, Amherst College, Bryn Mawr College, Claremont McKenna College, Pomona College, Swathmore College, and Vassar College. The other Virginia schools on the list are the University of Richmond and Washington and Lee University.

“Margaret Wise Brown said, ‘A good picture book can almost be whistled….All have their own melodies behind the storytelling,’” said judges Elissa Haden Guest and Judy Schachner. “In that spirit, we award the Margaret Wise Brown Prize to Phil Bildner for Marvelous Cornelius,” a book about a simple, musical man who inspired the cleanup of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Illustrated by John Parra and published by Chronicle Books, Marvelous Cornelius is geared toward children ages 4 – 7.

Guest, who has written numerous children’s books including Bella’s Rules and the award-winning Iris and Walter series, and Schachner, creator of the Skippyjon Jones picture book series, also presented authors Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple with the Margaret Wise Brown Prize Honor Book for their work, You Nest Here With Me, a lyrical goodnight book illustrated by Melissa Sweet and published by Boyds Mills Press.

Hollins University established the Margaret Wise Brown Prize in Children’s Literature as a way to pay tribute to one of its best-known alumnae and one of America’s most beloved children’s authors. Winners receive a $1,000 cash prize, which comes from an endowed fund created by James Rockefeller, Brown’s fiancé at the time of her death.

“The Margaret Wise Brown Prize is one of the few children’s book awards that has a cash prize attached,” said Amanda Cockrell, director of the children’s literature program at Hollins.

Winners also receive an engraved medal conceived by award-winning sculptor, painter, and Hollins alumna Betty Branch of Roanoke. Winners and Honor Book recipients are presented a certificate designed by Ashley Wolff, author and/or illustrator of over 50 children’s books. Winners are invited to accept the award and present a reading on campus during the summer session of Hollins’ graduate program in children’s literature.

Margaret Wise Brown graduated from Hollins in 1932 and went on to write Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, and other children’s classics before she died in 1952. Hollins celebrated her life and work with a year-long Margaret Wise Brown Festival in 2011 and 2012, which featured stage and musical adaptations of her work along with readings, workshops, guest lectures, and other activities for all ages.

How to submit books for consideration for the 2017 Margaret Wise Brown Prize:

The deadline for submission for books published in 2016 is January 15, 2017. A three-judge panel, consisting of established picture book authors, will review the nominations and choose a winner, which will be announced in May 2017.

Nguyen, who is double-majoring in economics and environmental science, was selected from a highly competitive pool of qualified candidates. Her internship will take place June 20 – August 12.

Founded in 1933, AIER is a widely recognized independent source of economic information, stemming from its proprietary research and publications. The institute’s internship program provides highly accomplished high school and college students with an introduction to economic research. Students work closely with AIER research fellows, which enhances their understanding of economic concepts, theories, and real-world applications.

Byrd won the Intermediate Equitation on the Flat title at the zonal competition, hosted by the University of Mary Washington at Hazelwild Farm in Fredericksburg. She was one of two Hollins riders who participated in the event: Jessica Michael ’17 captured fifth place in her division, Walk Trot Canter.

The IHSA Nationals take place May 5 – 8 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

UGA’s CED is consistently ranked as having one of the best M.L.A. programs in the country alongside Harvard University, Cornell University, and Virginia Tech. Each year, the program selectively admits only about 16 new students.

This past January, Murphy completed an internship at UGA’s CED that was coordinated by Laura Kviklys ’07, who finished her Master of Historic Preservation at UGA and now leads FindIt!, the CED’s public outreach program.

“My very positive internship experience with Laura and the FindIt! program prompted me to apply to UGA for a degree in landscape architecture,” Murphy said. “I will concentrate my M.L.A. studies on urban design and planning.”

After completing her M.L.A. degree, Murphy hopes to practice landscape architecture through either a private firm or a municipality, and someday work abroad. “Landscape architecture is a growing field in China, a country that has captured my academic interest during my time at Hollins,” she explained, adding that after gaining a few years of experience, she would like to pursue a Ph.D. in geography or urban studies/design.

Niche ranks Hollins #79 in its national listing, and #4 in the commonwealth. A complete profile of the university may be found here.

According to the website, “The 2016 Best Liberal Arts Colleges ranking is based on key statistics and student reviews. The top Liberal Arts colleges are elite academic colleges that provide a good value and an exceptional overall college experience through a smaller and more personalized learning environment.”

Niche says it “takes into account key factors such as the strength of the academic program, the aptitude of professors, the quality of campus amenities, the general character of student life, as well as student reviews in an attempt to measure the overall excellence of the college experience.”

Niche was founded in 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University students as CollegeProwler.com. The website offers reviews and expert insight to make easier the choice of a a neighborhood, college or university, or K-12 school.

Levy is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree in the Playwright’s Lab at Hollins. This is not the first time the KCACTF has acknowledged her achievements: In 2013, she won the National Partners of the American Theatre Playwriting Award, considered a gold medal, and the regional David Shelton Award for her original script, Decision Height. The following year, she received the Mimi and Harold Steinberg National Student Playwriting Award, which encourages college students to write for the stage by providing the opportunity for them to collaborate with actors, directors, and others through all stages of production, including rehearsals and performances.

Described as “whimsical comedy,” Coupler takes place in the London Underground, where the occupants of the last car on the Northern Line have lost parents, partners, and possibly themselves. They criss-cross through the heart of the Underground, holding on to what was and hoping for what might be.

The award also honors Playwright’s Lab Director Todd Ristau, who directed the production.

Coupler was staged during the 2016 Hollins-Mill Mountain Theatre Winter Festival of New Works, held in January.

Established in 1969, the KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide. It serves as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theatre in the United States. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theatre departments and student artists showcase their work.

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently visited Hollins to learn more about how the campus is thriving despite the challenges many other colleges and universities are facing. In this video, President Gray as well as students, faculty, and administrators effectively demonstrate the ways in which Hollins stands out.